Axiagastus chandrashekarai Salini, Kment & Roca-Cusachs, 2025

Kment, Petr, Lemaître, Valérie A., Webb, Michael D. & Roca-Cusachs, Marcos, 2025, Revision of the Austro-Oriental shield-bug genus Axiagastus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), with the description of five new species, and taxonomic notes on related genera, Zootaxa 5603 (1), pp. 1-82 : 35-39

Axiagastus chandrashekarai Salini, Kment & Roca-Cusachs sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8B4331DD-57D7-4F4C-9A2E-3D81E401C447

( Figs 83–109)

Axiagastus sp. 002-ARN: Arnold (2012): 56 (distribution; Indonesia: Sulawesi)

Type locality. Indonesia: Sulawesi Utara, Dumoga-Bone N.P [0.5634° N, 123.7071° E] .

Type material. Holotype: ♂, “ INDONESIA / SULAWESI UTARA / Dumoga-Bone N.P. / 27 April, 1985 [p] // R. Ent. Soc. Lond. / PROJECT WALLACE / B. M. 1985–10 [p] // At / light // dissected and illustrated Salini. S. // HOLOTYPUS / Axiagastus chandrashekarai / Salini, Kment & Roca-Cusachs sp. nov. // det. Salini. S., 2024 [p, red label]” ( BMNH). The holotype is pinned through the scutellum. The dissected male genitalia are preserved in a glass microvial with glycerol attached to the same pin. Right antennomeres III–IV and right metatarsomeres broken and glued on a card.

Paratypes (15♂ 21♀): INDONESIA: Sulawesi : 13♂ 16♀, “INDONESIA / SULAWESI TENGAH / Nr. Morowali / Ranu River Area / 27.i.–20.iv.1980 [p] // M. J. D. Brendell / B. M. 1980–280 [p] // Lowland / rain / forest // At / light” (10♂ 13♀ BMNH, 2♂ 2♀ NMPC, 1♂ 1♀ NIM) , one male dissected, male genitalia are placed in a glass microvial with glycerol attached to the same pin.— 1♀, “ SULAWESI UTARA / Dumoga-Bone N.P. / 1–8 May, 1985 [p] // R. Ent. Soc. Lond. / PROJECT WALLACE / B. M. 1985–10 [p] // At / light // Edward’s Camp / 664 m // dissected and illustrated Salini. S.” ( BMNH) . The dissected female genitalia are preserved in a glass microvial with glycerol attached to the same pin, terga and sterna (after extraction of terminalia and spermatheca), glued on a card. Right antennomeres IIa–IV broken off and glued on a card, left antennomeres III–IV and right metatarsomere II–III lost.— 1♂, “INDONESIA: / SULAWESI UTARA, / Dumoga-Bone N.P. / February 1985. [p] // Sites 10 & 11, / 1040 m, 19.–25. 11. 1985. / Tumpah Transect / J. D. Holloway [p] // R. Ent. Soc. Lond. / PROJECT WALLACE / B. M. 1985–10 [p]” ( BMNH) .— 1♀, “Rothamsted light / trap, site 1, / 200 m. H. Barlow [p] // INDONESIA: / SULAWESI UTARA, / Dumoga-Bone N.P. [p] / 4.-21. [hw] February 1985. [p]” ( BMNH) .— 1♀, “Rothamsted light / trap, site 2, / 220 m. H. Barlow [p] // INDONESIA: / SULAWESI UTARA, / Dumoga-Bone N.P. [p] / 9.-20. [hw] November 1985. [p]” ( BMNH) .— 1♀, “INDONESIA: / SULAWESI UTARA, / Dumoga-Bone N.P. / May 1985. [p] // Toraut , nr base / camp, ca 200m. / M. R. Wilson [p] // R. Ent. Soc. Lond. / PROJECT WALLACE / B. M. 1985–10 [p]” ( BMNH) .— 1♀, “INDONESIA: / SULAWESI UTARA, / Dumoga-Bone N.P. / June 1985. [p] // Toraut , nr

base / camp, ca 200m. / M. R. Wilson [p] // R. Ent. Soc. Lond. / PROJECT WALLACE / B. M. 1985–10 [p]” ( BMNH).— 1♂ 1♀, “ INDONESIA, C-SULAWESI / W coast of lake POSO / Taipa env., 10.-11. iv. 1999 / Bečvář & Zábranský lgt. [p] // COLLECTIO / PETR BAŇAŘ / Moravian Museum Brno [p]” ( MMBC). Both specimens pinned through scutellum, the male genital capsule and one of the parameres detached and glued on a separate piece of card attached to the same pin.—Each specimen bears the following identification label: PARATYPUS / AXIAGASTUS / CHANDRASHEKARAI Salini , / Kment & Roca-Cusachs sp. nov. / det. Salini, S. & Kment, P., 2024 [p, yellow label] .

Description. Colour, integument and vestiture ( Figs 83–87). Body colour luteous to bright yellow with black markings as follows: lateral margins of head, two longitudinal stripes at middle of disc extending from middle of clypeus to base of head, narrow line sublaterally along anterior margin of pronotum, anterolateral margins of pronotum, two small spots on each cicatrix (may be somewhat confluent), pronotal disc posteriorly with narrow to wide transverse stripe, narrow one broken before humeri, wide one extending to humeri (except narrow, oblique, pale yellow band behind humeri), and one fourth of antero- and posterolateral margins of connexival segments; markings and punctation on scutellum variable, scutellar disc anteriorly with more or less prominent yellow callosities and median black spot of variable shape, postfrenal portion with wide black transverse stripe somewhat projecting anteriad along midline; apex of scutellum with yellowish subcordiform spot; antennae bicolourous, impunctate with scape (I), basipedicellite (IIa) and base of distipedicellite (IIb) ochraceous, apex of distipedicellite, basiflagellum (III), and distiflagellum (IV) black; membranes smoky brown; coria variable from prevailing pale to prevailing black, with one small yellowish callose spot laterally near middle of each endocorium; head with punctures fine, black, sparsely scattered on dorsal surface; pronotum with punctures black, sparsely distributed on anterior pronotal disc, concentrated towards posterior disc; scutellum and corium with black, coarse punctures more or less uniformly distributed; punctures fine, black, densely distributed on anterior and posterior fourth of connexival segments, pale region between them with punctures fine, brown, sparsely distributed. Ventral surface pale yellow with coarse, black punctures confluent as transverse stripes on thoracic sternites; head on ventral surface with black punctures restricted along longitudinal black stripe on either side of bucculae; abdomen on ventral surface with coarse, black punctures densely distributed towards lateral area, sparsely distributed at middle; intersegmental sutures of ventrites III–VII marked with black transverse bands; apices of buccular denticles, labium, ostiolar peritreme, and tarsal claws, one short stripe above base of each antenna, one spot each at base of pro-, meso- and metacoxae, a row of small spots on either side sublaterally, one spot each at middle of lateral margin of pro-, meso- and metapleuron, a moderately large spot mesad to each spiracle but coalescing with black spiracular margin, transverse muscle scars, and antero- and posterolateral angles of ventrites III–VII, black. Legs concolourous with ventral surface of abdomen, with dense, coarse, black punctation; femora with punctures appearing as moderately large black spots; punctures on tibiae small, dorsal surface of tibiae with longitudinal ridges black.

Structure. Head ( Figs 85, 86) with apices of mandibular plates appearing obliquely truncate (lateral margins of mandibular plates each with obtuse angle). Length of labium reaching or surpassing posterior margin of ventrite IV. Other characters as in generic redescription.

Male genitalia ( Figs 88, 90–106). Genital capsule ( Figs 90–93, 97–100) subquadrate; lateral wall of dorsal rim obliquely straight, sclerotized black border with minute, distinct serrations (sr) contiguous with shallow, transverse emargination (te) at middle of dorsal rim; dorsal sinus of posterior aperture broadly U-shaped (ds), ventral margin of posterior aperture semispherical; lateral regions of ventral rim and posterolateral angles with a few moderately elongate setae; posterolateral lobes appearing slightly concave in lateral view; ventral rim with moderately broad V-shaped notch at middle (vr), and 1+1 shallow concavity adjacent to posterolateral angles; infoldings of ventral rim deeply impressed on either side of slightly developed distension (dn) at middle, distension sunken, emarginated as shallow concavity at middle; infoldings of ventral rim laterally (inner to posterolateral lobes) with a sclerotized patch with short, blunt, apically rounded denticle (dt). Paramere ( Figs 94–96, 101–103) simple, crown finger-like (flp) with dorsal margin slightly obtusangulate at one-third in lateral view ( Figs 95, 102, 103), numerous elongate setae along periphery of laminate disc (ld); crown gradually narrowed towards apex; apex angulate, blunt (narrowly rounded) in lateral view ( Figs 95, 102, 103); stem moderately elongate, apodeme disc-like. Phallus ( Figs 104–106). Articulatory apparatus as in Figs 105, 106; distal one-third of phallotheca transparent with ventral convex projection (vcp) in close proximity with processes of aedeagus (pa); a pair of dorsal conjunctival processes (cp), partly sclerotized throughout length, apically rounded; aedeagus (ad) short, deflected dorsad, apex swollen, drop-like, transparent, with embedded phallotreme, processes of aedeagus as shown in Fig. 106.

Female genitalia ( Figs 107–109). Terminalia ( Figs 107, 108). Valvifers VIII almost as in A. cambelli ; valvifers IX short, narrow, transverse; anterior margins of valvifers IX slightly angulate at middle, posterior margins slightly concave; laterotergites VIII and IX as in A. cambelli . Gynatrium as in A. cambelli . Spermatheca ( Fig. 109). Spermathecal dilation as in A. rosmarus , distal spermathecal duct gradually widened towards proximal flange, roughly funnel-shaped apical receptacle small with three ductules, nearly of equal size.

Differential diagnosis. This species can be differentiated by the apical margins of the mandibular plates appearing obliquely truncate as compared to the convex or rounded margins in other congeners, as well as the bicolourous antennae. Other distinguishing characters are found in the male genitalia, such as the shape of the genital capsule, parameres and processes of the aedeagus.

Etymology. This new species is named in honor of the first author’s (SS) mentor and professor, Chandrashekaraswami Adiveyya Viraktamath (University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India), in recognition of his numerous contributions to the taxonomy of the Hemiptera and his mentorship of several students in the field of taxonomy ( Ramani et al. 2020). The species-group name is a noun in the genitive case.

Biology. Part of the type series was collected by light traps.

Distribution. This species is at present restricted to Indonesia (Sulawesi) ( Arnold 2012, as Axiagastus sp. 002- ARN; this paper).